Chapter 43

The Return to Egypt

1 aNow the famine was severe in the land.

2 So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”

3 Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “aThe man solemnly warned 1us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’

4 “If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.

5 “But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”

6 Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly 1by telling the man whether you still had another brother?”

7 But they said, “The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, ‘aIs your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ So we 1answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

8 Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, athat we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones.

9 “aI myself will be surety for him; 1you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then 2let me bear the blame before you forever.

10 “For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”

11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your 1bags, and carry down to the man aas a present, a little 2bbalm and a little honey, 3aromatic gum and 4myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.

12 “Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand athe money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake.

13 “Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man;

14 and may 1aGod Almighty bgrant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you cyour other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, dif I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

15 So the men took athis present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

Joseph Sees Benjamin

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his ahouse steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon.”

17 So the man did as Joseph said, and 1brought the men to Joseph’s house.

18 Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may 1seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys.”

19 So they came near to Joseph’s house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house,

20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food,

21 and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, aeach man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in 1full. So bwe have brought it back in our hand.

22 “We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

23 He said, “1Be at ease, do not be afraid. aYour God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; 2I had your money.” Then bhe brought Simeon out to them.

24 Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and agave them water, and they bwashed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder.

25 So they prepared athe present 1for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat 2a meal there.

26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and abowed to the ground before him.

27 Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, “aIs your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” aThey bowed down 1in homage.

29 As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this ayour youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “bMay God be gracious to you, my son.”

30 Joseph hurried out for 1ahe was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and bwept there.

31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he acontrolled himself and said, “1Serve the meal.”

32 So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is 1aloathsome to the Egyptians.

33 Now they 1were seated before him, athe firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.

34 He took portions to them from 1his own table, abut Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.